Who applies
District of Choice is for students who live in another school district. Oak Park residents don't apply; families new to the district enroll through their school office, and students already enrolled don't reapply each year (Enrollment Options).
One exception: Oak Park Unified isn't processing District of Choice applications from students who live in Las Virgenes Unified. Those families can apply with an inter-district permit instead (District of Choice, published October 8, 2026).
The 2027–28 timeline
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications open, online | October 1, 2026 |
| Applications close | December 31, 2026 |
| Lottery, if a grade is oversubscribed | February 17, 2027 Board meeting |
| Waitlist expires | May 1, 2027 |
Submitting early gives no advantage, according to the district's District of Choice FAQs.
How seats are given
If a grade has room for every applicant, all are accepted. If not, seats go in this order:
- Siblings of current Oak Park Unified students.
- Foster youth and students eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
- Military families.
- Everyone else, drawn at random.
Applicants who aren't selected go on a randomized waitlist that expires May 1.
What acceptance means
An accepted District of Choice student can stay through high school graduation, as long as the family keeps living in the home district named on the application. The student doesn't reapply each year.
After the window closes: inter-district permits
Inter-district permits are the other route in, and the one to use after the District of Choice window closes (Inter-District Permits, published October 1, 2026):
- The family gets a paper permit from its home district, which has to release the student first.
- For the current school year, non-residents can apply from January 1 with a valid release, if the grade has space.
- Permits normally renew each year under a Ventura County transfer agreement.
- A family that is denied can appeal to the County Board of Education within 30 calendar days.
Oak Park's schools
Oak Park Unified serves about 4,300 students from TK through 12th grade. Oak Park residents formed the district in 1977, after Oak Park's requests to join Las Virgenes Unified were denied (district history). Its K–8 schools are Brookside Elementary, Oak Hills Elementary and Red Oak Elementary (TK–5), and Medea Creek Middle School (6–8). Each school page has its programs, test scores and 2026–27 dates.
Medea Creek's math placement rules, including the criteria for Algebra I in 7th grade, are in the Oak Park Algebra I guide. Oak Park's school year runs on an earlier calendar than its neighbors': it started August 5, 2026 and ends May 27, 2027 (district dates).
Questions parents ask
When is the Oak Park Unified District of Choice deadline?
December 31, 2026, for the 2027–28 school year. The window opened October 1, 2026.
Does applying early help?
No. The district's FAQ says the timing of an application gives no advantage.
Do accepted District of Choice students reapply every year?
No. Accepted enrollment stays valid through high school graduation, as long as the family lives in the home district named on the application.
Can families in Las Virgenes Unified apply?
Not through District of Choice: Oak Park Unified isn't processing District of Choice applications from students who live in Las Virgenes USD. Those families can apply through the inter-district permit process instead.
When is the District of Choice lottery?
At the February 17, 2027 Board meeting, and only for grades with more applicants than seats.
Sources
- OPUSD District of Choice, page published October 8, 2026. Opened October 13, 2026.
- OPUSD District of Choice FAQs, for 2027–28. Opened October 13, 2026.
- OPUSD Enrollment Options, page published October 9, 2026. Opened October 13, 2026.
- OPUSD Inter-District Permits, page published October 1, 2026. Opened October 13, 2026.
- OPUSD history, page published October 9, 2026. Opened October 13, 2026.
- OPUSD important event dates, 2026–27, last updated October 1, 2026. Opened October 13, 2026.
Thousand Acorns Tutoring is not affiliated with Oak Park Unified School District.